How to solve the Atlantic Crossword Puzzle

What is the Atlantic crossword puzzle?

Introduced in 2018, the Atlantic crossword is a comparatively new addition to the crossword world with it one of the youngest amongst the list of elite publications. That includes the New York Times, USA Today, the Universal Crossword, and several others with the Atlantic Crossword now on that list.

The daily puzzles are created by Pabolo Pasco and Caleb Madison alongside Kelsey Dixon, Elizabeth Gorski, and a few others who also constructed their share over the years. Released daily, the Atlantic crossword, like the New York Times one, increases in difficulty over the week. That means that the Monday daily puzzle is the easiest while the Sunday crossword is the toughest and largest. Each daily puzzle is published on the Atlantic’s website at midnight Eastern Standard Time, and it often features topics from pop culture, trending news, and general knowledge to offer solvers a mix of everything.

What is the format and rules?

Created by Pabolo Pasco and Caleb Madison, the Atlantic crossword has thrived over the last few years, becoming one of the more popular crossword puzzles in the world. That’s because they appeal to both the experienced crossword solver and even the novice solver, thanks to their blend of engaging but challenging puzzles that feature topics ranging from pop culture to general knowledge. Furthermore, the fact that the puzzle follows a strict set of rules while sticking to a format that they’ve adhered to for years also keeps things consistent for solvers.

Here's the rules and format of the Atlantic crossword:

• The Atlantic crossword’s grid size varies from 9x9 from Monday to Saturday while the Sunday crossword is larger at 11x11.

• The puzzle increases in difficulty over the week, with Monday being the easiest and Sunday the toughest.

• The Sunday puzzle is created by a rotating cast of constructors

• Answers for each clue must be interchangeable with the clues in a sentence

• “Green-paint entries” are to be avoided, i.e. phrases or words that are valid but feel contrived

• The crossword must follow basic crossword rules

• The puzzle is designed to be solved on a smartphone, which is why the grid is smaller.

• Multi-word answers must form a part of the same function in a sentence i.e. a syntactic constituent.

How difficult is the puzzle?

Much like the New York Times crossword, the Atlantic crossword increases in difficulty over the course of the week. That means Monday’s daily puzzle is the easiest while the Sunday daily puzzle is the largest and considered to be the toughest puzzle of the week. This increase in difficulty combined with their creative puzzles are what has made the Atlantic crossword popular worldwide.

This approach also allows solvers to gradually improve their skills as many describe the Monday puzzle as equivalent to a novice-level challenge. On the other hand, the Saturday and Sunday ones are classified as difficult but manageable for the more experienced solvers.

Guide to solving the puzzle

As the Atlantic crossword has an increasing level of challenge, it can be difficult to handle, especially for novices in the crossword game. Yet because of its level, standard format, and the themed puzzles it offers, the Atlantic crossword attracts a lot of players on a daily basis. That is especially because its editor, Caleb Madison, has maintained its quality since he took over as the editor six years ago.

Here are a few tips to help tackle the Atlantic crossword:

• Start with the Monday puzzle as they are the easiest for novices to tackle.

• Scan the clue list and fill in the answers you’re sure of, using this as momentum to push you forward

• Pay close attention to the tense and parts of speech in the clues as the answers will follow the same.

• Find the fill-in-the-blank clues first as they are often the easier ones

• Consider multiple meanings for each word as the clues often bank on double meanings.

• Practice regularly to improve your vocabulary and ability to spot recurring clues and answers.

Conclusion

While it was only introduced in 2018, the Atlantic crossword has come leaps and bounds over the last few years, thriving ever since the pandemic. It has become a beloved daily feature for many solvers, from the novice to the experienced crossword player. That is thanks to its progressive difficulty level, which increases over the course of the week with the Monday puzzle being the easiest.

To add to that, the crossword reflects the Atlantic publication as a whole as it perfectly blends cultural references and wordplay into clues to make things even more challenging. Thus, as a result, the crossword only adds to the Atlantic’s reputation for high-quality journalism and improves upon it on a weekly basis. Not only that, but ever since Caleb Madison took over as editor six years ago, the puzzle has become one of the world’s most popular and renowned crossword puzzles.